Burkina Faso and South Africa meet with Women’s AFCON knockout hopes at stake

Burkina Faso must beat South Africa to secure a historic place in the quarter-finals of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations 2026, while their opponents also need victory to keep their hopes of reaching the knockout stage alive.

The decisive Group B match will be played at Casablanca’s Stade Moulay Rachid on Tuesday, with kick-off scheduled for 22:00 French time and 20:00 in Burkina Faso.

Viewers in France can watch the game live on beIN SPORTS MAX 4 or beIN SPORTS MAX 5. In Burkina Faso, the match will be broadcast on both Canal+ Sport and RTB.

Burkina Faso began their campaign with a heavy 4-1 defeat by Cote d’Ivoire but responded with a 2-1 victory over Tanzania. That result has left them third in Group B, level on points with Tanzania, who occupy second place.

However, Tanzania have the advantage on goal difference, meaning Burkina Faso cannot afford to rely on the outcome of the group’s other fixture. The Burkinabe must win against South Africa, regardless of what happens when Tanzania face Cote d’Ivoire.

A victory would take the Etalons Dames into the quarter-finals for the first time in their history. Their route to the next round is therefore straightforward, although they face a South Africa side with everything still to play for.

This will be the first meeting between Burkina Faso and South Africa at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations. The teams previously faced each other in qualifying in 2023, when Burkina Faso held South Africa to a 1-1 draw in the first leg before losing the return match 2-0.

South Africa, known as Banyana Banyana, also need to win if they are to have a chance of progressing to the knockout stage. They come into the match after fighting back to draw 2-2 with Cote d’Ivoire.

Cote d’Ivoire had built a two-goal lead in that game, but South Africa recovered to claim a point. That result has kept their campaign alive, although only a victory against Burkina Faso will give them a realistic chance of continuing beyond the group stage.

The final Group B standings will also depend on the result between Tanzania and Cote d’Ivoire. For Burkina Faso, though, the equation is clear: they need three points to make history. South Africa face the same immediate requirement as they attempt to remain in contention for the next round.